A mobile phone app that could help visitors to Expo 2020 Dubai not only find their way around the huge site but also inform them of attractions to match their interests won the recently held SAP & Expo 2020 Dubai Hackathon.

The app also featured a guidance feature that directs visitors to locations using voice commands.

Twenty developers, designers and entrepreneurs came up with mobile solutions inspired by the themes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability at the event.

SAP, Expo 2020 Dubai’s Innovative Enterprise Software Partner, challenged participants at the hackathon – a marathon-like event where programmers and designers are given a set time to complete a task – to develop innovative solutions based on the three Expo 2020 Dubai subthemes.

The aim was not only to innovate but also to create opportunities for young people to hone and showcase their skills in front of representatives of SAP, a global leader in innovative software solutions and also an Official Premier Partner of Expo 2020 Dubai.

The event was open to a wide array of young UAE-based talent, including freelancers, students and representatives of start-ups, with participants requiring a basic understanding of SAP solutions, Swift programming and iOS to compete.

The hackathon took place over a 24-hour period from July 24-25 at SAP’s Mena headquarters in Dubai. A panel of judges comprising representatives from SAP and Expo 2020 Dubai assessed the entries and crowned the team Connect It as the overall winner.

The team’s three members – Kumar Soorya, Mojtaba Noor and Mohamed Sikander Adam, had never met before the event. They soon realised, however, that together they each could bring different skills to the team, echoing the overall theme of Expo 2020 Dubai: ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.

Yousuf Caires, vice president – Expo Live at Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “The winning solution encapsulates the spirit of innovation that has been the hallmark of World Expos throughout the ages. Visitors to past Expos had the chance to see era-defining developments such as the telephone, the touch-screen and x-ray machines for the first time, and visitors to Expo 2020 Dubai will experience the cutting edge of ingenuity and progress – building on ideas like those that have emerged from this hackathon.”

“We are delighted to have had the chance to work with SAP on this event, which illustrates the incredible opportunities and impact that the partnerships being formed with Expo 2020 Dubai are creating.

“We look forward to connecting more minds as we continue on our journey to 2020 and beyond to create a brighter future,” he added.

Tayfun Topkoc, managing director, SAP United Arab Emirates and Oman, said: “SAP and Expo 2020 Dubai are committed to supporting the UAE’s start-up ecosystem, and with the hackathon we are fostering the next generation of technological innovations across opportunity, mobility, and sustainability, and driving tailor-made experiences for many millions of visitors. As Expo 2020 Dubai’s Innovative Enterprise Software Partner, SAP is supporting hackathon winners to bring their solutions to market, aligned with the event’s theme of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.”

Among the prizes up for grabs were tickets to SAP TechEd 2017 in Barcelona, one of the largest technology annual conferences for developers and IT professionals.

Other prizes included the opportunity for winners to present their solutions at Gitex Technology Week in Dubai – one of the most influential technology events in the region. Winning entries will also be evaluated by SAP and Expo 2020 Dubai, who could help winners bring their solutions to market through co-innovation support and the SAP Startup Focus Programme. – TradeArabia News Service